1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microchip useful for the purpose of μ-TAS (Micro Total Analysis System) suitably employed in biochemical tests such as of blood, in chemical synthesis, in environmental analysis, and the like.
2. Description of the Background Art
Recently, in the field of medical, health, food and drug discovery, there is greater importance of sensing, detecting, and determining the quantity of chemical substance and biological matters such as DNA (Deoxyribo Nucleic Acid), enzyme, antigen, antibody, protein, viruses and cells. Various biochips and microchemical chips (hereinafter, generically referred to as “microchip”) have been proposed to enable feasible measurements.
For example, the microchip disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2007-33225 includes a fluid circuit therein; constituted mainly of various portions such as a liquid reagent holding portion for holding a liquid reagent required to treat a sample (blood or the like) that is the target of testing/analysis, or for reaction with the sample; a quantification portion for quantifying the sample (or particular component in the sample) and/or the liquid reagent; a mixing portion mixing the sample (or particular component in the sample) with the liquid reagent; a detection portion for analyzing and/or examining the mixed liquid; and a minute flow path (for example, a width of approximately several hundred μm) appropriately connecting the portions.
Since such a microchip including a fluid circuit allows the series of experiments and analytical operations required to be carried out at a laboratory to be conducted within a chip of several centimeters in square and having a thickness of several millimeters, various advantages can be offered such as reduction in the amount of sample and reagent required, lower cost, faster reaction rate, and allowing testing with high throughput. Moreover, the test results of the sample can be obtained without delay at the site where the sample was collected. Microchips have been employed suitably for biochemical examination such as blood testing and the like.